Fire-alarm system.



` J. P. KELLY.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. APPLIoA'rIon FILED. un. a, 190s.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

(n La u @miw ATTORNEYS mnnaw. a. annum ca mmm wn STATES PATENT GFETCEeJOI-IN P. KELLY, 0F BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-.ALARM SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Basking Ridge, county of Somerset, and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inA Fire- AlarmSystems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to an electric tire alarmsystem for towns and villages, but which is also adapted for cities andthe like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientfire alarm system in which headquarters or a central station may benotied of a ire through means located at various points at a distancefrom the central station, and in which, after the alarm has been turnedin, the central station may send a return signal, so that the personturning in the alarm will be notified that the signal set has beenreceived, thereby making it possible for the person sending the alarm toimmediately know that the central station has been properly notified.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby whenan alarm is sent to the central station from a distant point, electricmechanical mechanism will be set into operation so as to automaticallyturn on one or more lights.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a three-wire system toadapt the same for return signals; to provide a visual as well as asounding signal to further notify the person that the proper number hasbeen sent, and to indicate which point the signal has been sent from,and at the same time to cause the ringing of an electric bell at thedifferent alarm boxes or signal stations in order that a policeman maybe notified, and particularly at crossings where traliic is considerableso that the policeman may keep the way clear for the fire apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to proy vide simple and efficientmeans for operating an electric switch for turning on the electric lightor lights at the central station or headquarters; and to provide meanswhereby it is possible to arrange the mechanism at the private or signalstations, so that immediately an alarm or signal is sent from the signalstation to the central station, an annunciator or other usual signalwill be operated, and that this annunciator and also a signal at thesignal station may be so ar- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led March 3, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 481,072.

or otherwise may be prevented, thereby requiring the inspector to re-setthe annunciator before the same is again operated.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention will behereinafter more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and willthen be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

The drawing represents a diagrammatic view of one form or systemembodying my invention, and while only one signal box or station isshown, it will be understood that there may be as many as desired, andinstead of a single headquarters or central station there may be morethan one.

The central station or headquarters 10 may be located at any desiredpoint, and said central station may have a number of cells 11, and saidcells 11 are connected by the wire 14 to the line wire 12, and by thewire 15 to the line wire 18, and in each of said connecting wires may bearranged a fuse 16.

A single stroke gong 17 or other signal is provided at the centralstation, and this gong is connected by the wire 18 to the wire 14, andis connected by a wire 19 to a third line wire 20, there being also afuse 21 arranged in the wire 19 as is usual in electric systems. Theline wires 12, 13 and 20 may be held to the poles or supports 22 in anydesired way, and located at various points throughout the village, cityor section in which the central station is located are sig nal stations22a. These signal stations or fire alarm boxes may be of any suitablenumber and variously constructed, and said boxes may be arranged in thehouse of the fireman and along the street or streets as desired. Eachbox may comprise a casing 23 as shown in dotted lines, and said casingmay be provided with an inner door to inclose the mechanism, and with anouter door which may be opened by any one, while the inner door can onlybe opened by the inspector or person having a key thereto.

Within the box or casing 23 is a bell 24, and this bell is connected bya wire 25 to the line wire 12, and by a wire 26 to the third line wire20. A magnet 27 has its coil connected by a wire 28 to the wire Q6, andleading from the coil is a wire 29 which connects with one contact of asuitable push button 30 or other circuit closer, while the other contactof the push button connects by a wire 31 to the line wire 13, and incach of the wires 25, 526 and 31 may be arranged a fuse 32.

Each alarm box is provided with a suitable number and directions forsending in an alarm, and this number may be arranged upon the door orotherwise and also upon the face of an annunciator member 33. Thisannunciator member 33 is located behind a glass-covered opening on theinner door and is pivoted at 34 at one edge and is held by an arm 35forming a pawl or detent which is pivoted at 3G so as to move with thearmature 37, so that when the armature is moved by the magnet 27, aswill be presently explained, the armature will raise the pawl 35 andwill release the annunciator member 33 so that the latter will drop bygravity, though a spring may be provided for this purpose if desired. Aswill be seen when the push button 30 is operated to send an alarm, thecircuit will be completed through the battery 11, wire 14, line wire 12,wire 25, electric bell 24, wire Q8, magnet 27, wire 29, to the pushbutton, wire 31 to line wire 13, and wire 15 to battery. 1f the number0n the box at the signal station is 41 for example, the button will bepushed four times, then a stop, and then once, and after another stopmay be repeated. rThis operation of the button will release theannunciator member 33 and will also ring the bells 24 of all of theboxes at the signal stations, and will also ring the gong 1T at thecentral station, the said gong being connected by the wire 18 to theline wire 1Q, and by means of the wire 19 to the line wire 20, which isproperly connected to the electric bells of all of the signal stations.

To automatically light the central station when an alarm is turned in,particularly at night, various means may be employed. As shown a wire 33connects with the wire 19 of the gong or signal 1T, and a wire 39connects with the wire 18, and said wires 38 and 39 lead to and from anelectro magnet 40. An armature 41 is pivotally held adjacent to themagnet 40, and is normally forced in one direction by a spring 42, andsaid armature has its outer end bent at an angle and arranged tonormally support a weight 43 which may be guided in a bracket 44. A ropeor other connection 45 extends from the Weight 43 and passes around oneor more pulleys 4G, and is held at one end to a handle 47 of a switchlever 48. This switch lever may be of the usual knife-edge type, and ispivoted at 49 to a bracket on the switch board 50, and on said switchboard is a switch contact 51. A source of electric supply may be hadthrough the wires 56 and 57, leading to the switch lever 48 and thecontact 51, and connected to thc switch lever 48 is a wire 54, andleading from the contact 51 is a wire 55, and included in the circuit ofthe wires 54 and 55 are one or more electric lights 58 so that when thealarm is turned in from any one of the signal stations, the gong 17 willnot only be sounded at the central station, but the circuit will becompleted through the magnets 40 which will move the armature 41 therebyreleasing the weight 43. This weight 43 will throw the switch lever 48into engagement with the contact 51 so that the circuit through thelight or lights 58 will be completed. By this means not only a gong orother signal may be sounded at the central station, but the building maybe automatically lighted, or other means operated to assist in theproper working of the system.

1f the return signal is desired, this may be accomplished from thecentral station, and it is desirable to do this to notify the personsending the alarm that the same has been properly received at thecentral station. A push button 57X or other device may be provided, andthis push button may have one contact connected by a wire 58X to thebattery wire 15, and its other contact connected by a wire 59 to a coilof a magnet G0, the said coil being connected by a wire G1to the wire 19which leads to the line wire 2O which is connected to all of the signalstations. An annunciator member' G2 is pivoted adjacent to the magnet,and this member is held in place by a pawl or detentwhich is held to anarmature G4, the latter being pivoted at 65 so that when moved on itspivot it will raise the pawl ('53 to permit the annunciator member 62 todrop either by gravity or by a spring provided for that purpose, itbeing understood that there may be an annunciator for each fire alarmbox, and also a separate push button therefor or the signal otherwisearranged and operated as preferred. lVhen the push button is operated tosend the return signal, the annunciator member 62 will be released andthe circuit will be completed through the battery wire 14, line wire 12,through electric bell, wire 2G, line wire 20, wire 19, wire 61, magnetG0, wire 59, push button 57X, wire 58X, and battery 11. This operationwill also ring the same signal in all of the boxes which may beconnected with the central station, each of the fire alarm boxes beingconnected through the line wiiie in substantially the manner shown inthe drawing.

Then the signal or tire alarm boxes are to be placed in privateresidences or similar places, the electric bell and connection may bedispensed with so that in such places only an alarm may be sent and notreceived, and in some instances where a bell would be unsuitable, abuzzer or other signal may be employed in place of the bell,

It will be understood that the various connections and parts may be madewith the proper resistances to adapt the parts to operate properly, asfor example the bells should be of a uniform size and resistance andthis may correspond to the annunciator coils, while the trip magnet mayhave a different resistance; that other circuit operating means thanpush buttons may be used, and that various changes in the arrangementand construction of the invention may be made without departing from thecharacter of the invention.

The term central station is used in its broadest sense to include theplace which receives the alarm, and signal station is intended toinclude any place which has means to send an alarm.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and efficient lirealarm system is provided which is adapted for small places as well ascities; that said system permits a return signal to be sent from thecentral station or headquarters to the signal stations or tire alarmboxes; that simple connections are provided whereby the alarm may bereadily sent to the central station; that simple means are providedwhereby the central station may have the lighting means turned onsimultaneously with the sending of the alarm; that by arranging themechanism within the fire box within an inner compartment accessibleonly to one in authority, it can be readily seen Whether or not the lirealarm box has been tampered with; and that by connecting the parts inthe manner shown the return signal to the box will not release theannunciators of the other boxes, as the said annunciators are onlyoperated when the push buttons located at the boxes are operated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent l. The combination with a central station, of a signalstation, signaling means located at the signal and central' stations, anelectric circuit including the signaling means at the central stationand the signal stations, lighting means, a switch controlling thelighting means, a weight operatively connected to the switch, anarmature for holding the weight in one position, a

magnet to permit the weight to operate the switch and electricconnections, whereby when the weight is released the electric lightingmeans will be turned on simultaneously with the operation ot thesignaling means at the signal station.

2. The combination with central and signal stations, of signaling meanslocated at the signal and central stations, an electric circuitincluding the signaling means at the central station and the signalstations, lighting means, a switch controlling the lighting means,mechanism operatively connected to the switch, and electric connectionswhereby 'the electric lighting means will be turned on simultaneouslywith the operation of the signaling means at the signal station.

3. The combination with a central station, of a signal station,signaling means located at the signal and central stations, an electriccircuit including the signaling means at the central and signalstations, lighting means, a switch controlling the lighting means, aweight operatively connected to the switch, means for holding the weightin one position, means for releasing the weight-holding means to operatethe switch, signals located at the stations, and electric connectionsincluding the signals at the central station, whereby when the latterare operated from the signal station the weight will be released and theelectric lighting means turned on simultaneously with the operation ofthe signals at the central station from the signal station.

4. In a ire'alarm system, the combination with a central station, of asignal station, an electric circuit, an annunciator located at thesignaling station having a movable member provided with the number ofthe signal station, and included in said circuit, and means forreleasing said annunciator member when an alarm is sent from the signalstation to the central station, electric lighting means at the centralstation and electric connections whereby the electric lighting meanswill be turned on simultaneously with the release of the annunciator.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2 day of March A. D. 1909.

JOHN P. KELLY.

Witnesses M. F. KEATING, M. DINNHAUPT.

